The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1887-05-04
VANDUSENS PIRACY.
The Biggest Sensation of the Nine
teenth Century.
BY E. W. THOMSON,

ufzfy n loVO
Not the least interesting among the multi
tudiuous recollections of the nineteenth CEN
fury which engrossed America yesterday is
that of the famous Lake Michigan piracy of
1887. Many still quite young will remember
the horror of the nation ON that June even
ing when the news came that Milwaukee had
been bombarded with Greek fire that after
noon, and that Chicago was threatened with
the same fate. The public CONSERVATION and
furyssurpassed for some days even that of
the propertied classes eight years ago, when
the Socialists first carried the presidential
election. From Mr.. Peleg @. Scudly, prom
inent citizen of Milwaukee, who resided
there when the bombardment occurred, the
Times reporter last evening obtained the fol-
photographic account of the affair.
'Do [ remember the Arthabasca bonn
harding Milwaukee," said Mr.. Scudly gem
tally. 81 should say so. More likely to
forget my wife or my namel Why, it was
the darndest, boldest, most yillainous thing
that ever happened. You're too young to
remember it eh?'
mo" said the Times representative. 81
recollect the excitement well enough. was
nine years old then. But never exactly
understood how the thing came about.
How was it possible, anyhow"
II don't wonder at your asking that"
answered Mr.. Scudly. ''Now that the latter
ports are fortified, and the lakes each with
its ironclad, folks feel safe against such
another attempt. But you see there wasn't
a big gun up there at that time, nor an
armed vessel except little wooden gunboat
More'n that, there was no way of fetching
them up at short notice. The railroads
hadn't trucks ready to carry very heavy
cannon the Erie canal was little more than
ditch; the st. Lawrence canals wouldn't
pass really large craft clear up from the sea.
So there were the great lakes all undefended
and the only wonder is that Vandusen's
game wasn't tried earlier"
"But how did he contrive to arm his vessel
without anybody getting wind of it?'
eWell, you see this was how it all hap
pened. The British owned Canada then
that was before the Dominion became an
independent republic. In the winter of 1886
everybody saw that. England and Russia
were bound to fight soon. The Canadians
were bowling for protection for their Pacific
ports-especially Victoria. So, in May, 1887,
the British sent a cargo of cannon and am
IlulfitlOA W DAOAltASthi W VIC tTdlioIDftcu
across the continent to Victoria by the Cana
dian Pacific railway. There was fifty-ton
gun beside lot Of heavy Armstrong; and
dozen or more of long-range Nordenfeldts,
together with any amount of shells and
cartridges for the whole caboodle. Well
when the stuff reached Montreal the New
York Herald made out that the armament
was threat against this country, and so it
blazed away at the British government day
in and day out, demanding explanations
and assurances and SO on. It was big
newspaper sensation. The papers Clipped
in all round, and the Canuck journals,
especially the Toronto Globe, were mighty
bumptious in telling our folks to mind their
own business. Of course it was all this
talk that started Vandusen on his scheme.
He was a born American, but had gone to
Germany and entered into conspiracy to
blow up Prince Bismarck. That made him
political refugee. He was mighty small
man, and had the control of considerable
funds for the Communists.
"Well, while everybody was talking about
the fifty-ton gun, the Canadian Pacific rail
way found their bridges round the meth
shore of Lake Superior needed some strength
SAhiAA6 DCtCiV eittJ "a Hti7o a 3SoNJ oAdiioiSo
train safely. They ran the train few hun
dred miles west of Montreal, and then side
tracked it on the Algoma branch, a line that
struck Lake Huron water at Algoma Mills,
then little backwoods village hundreds of
miles from anywhere. To get the ordnance
train out of the road of traffic it was run down
to Algoma Mills and there switched off just
alongside of the big wharves they were fin
ishing. OF course, all this was in the papers
and Vandusen hadn't much to do but read
'em just then.
Same time the Canadian Pacific was run
ming line of steamers from Owen sound ON
Lake Huron to Fort William, at head of
Lake Superior. The Arthabasca was one of
'em-a big, strong, iron ship, Scotch built,
very fast and inspected by the British adj
miralty before she was sent out, so as to
make sure she was fit to carry guns if asked
to. She was brought out in sections and put
together on the lakes. So you see every
thing was ready to hand for Vandusen and
his gang of refugees and Communards. They
had taken to Canada because, after the plot
against Bismarck, the Germans in the States
made this country too hot for 'em. Most all
of 'em had served in the German army and
were up TO everything in the war business.
Toward the end of May it was noticed that
good many of EN- were fooling round To-
ronto, where Vandusen lived, and around
Owen sound, where the Arthabasca stopped
for day and night each trip. There was a
plosiyes-that was the new Greek fre-it
had some chemical name, but forget it. the
stuff they afterward filled the shells with.
Well, the Canadian police were just thinking
to seize the whole gang when the news came
that they had collected at Owen sound,
seized the Arthabasca, with the whole crew
and engineers aboard asleep and put off in
the night for nobody knew where. That was
startling, but nothing to what followed.
mot even next day when the wires to
Algoma were reported down did any one
suspect the scheme. 1t wasn't till two days
afterward that any news came of the Artha-
basca. Then the operator at Mackinaw
straits reported that a queer-looking craft
had run South very fast in the evening into
Lake Michigan. later fisherman ran into
Mackinaw settlement in riddled skiff He
had been almost under the bows of the
Arthabasca about twilight. Vandusen had
ordered him and his crew aboard, and when
they refused to CO. had opened on their
smack with Nordenfeldt. The skipper had
jumped overheard and escaped by frequent
diving. He got off in the twilight, and when
the Arthabasca steamed ahead he managed
to right the nearly shattered skiff and came
in, badly wounded, with the news. He re-
ported the Arthabasca's upper works cleared
off and that she was carrying an immense
gun nearly amidships, with smaller cannon
and Nordenfeldts frowning in every direc-
ton. You may bet there was wild excite
ment everywhere az that news, but still no
one could imagine Vandusen's game. Soon
Milwaukee discovered it.
''About four O'Clock in the afternoon the
Arthabasca steamed toward the city. 1t was
the eth of June if don't disremember. She
lay off about three miles and sent boat ashore
with telephone wire. Vandusen hadn't
forgotten anything; he certainly was
mighty smart man. was in an immense
crowd that was watching from the wharyes
The police went out to meet the boat then
the man in command of it handed over
letter and the end of the wire. don't re
member the whole letter, but it said if the
Arthabasca's boat was interfered with they
would begin firing on the town right away.
They wanted the wire connected with the
mayors office. As the crew of the Artha-
basca's boat were armed to the teeth the
police kind o reckoned it would be just as
well to let them go back nnmolested Then
the wire came ashore. I'll never forget the
fury and fear of the crowd when the police
told the news. The story ran with cries in
every direction at once Such roar as broke